


Deep in Her Eyes, I Think I See the Future

by Darkmagyk, IaMcHrIsSi



Series: Happy AU [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Everybody Lives, F/F, happy endings, seriously it's basically a romcom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5023993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkmagyk/pseuds/Darkmagyk, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IaMcHrIsSi/pseuds/IaMcHrIsSi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What do you mean, you’re pregnant?!” This is quite possibly the worst day in Obi-Wan’s life; first, he caught Anakin and Padme making out in Anakin’s quaters, then three of his clones had died in a separatist attack, and now this.</p><p>“What do you think it means?” Satine is angry at him, and he can’t even blame her; it’s unfair of him to blow up at her like he does, and he knows it; after all, it takes two to make a baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“What do you mean, you’re pregnant?!” This is quite possibly the worst day in Obi-Wan’s life; first, he caught Anakin and Padme making out in Anakin’s quaters, then three of his clones had died in a separatist attack, and now this.

“What do you think it means?” Satine is angry at him, and he can’t even blame her; it’s unfair of him to blow up at her like he does, and he knows it; after all, it takes two to make a baby.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes for a moment, takes a deep breath; then he steps forward and takes Satine in his arms, holding her close; she is shaking, as scared of this as he is; “We’ll figure something out”, he promises her, and hopes it’s true.

It has been a hectic month. Being on the run is hard. Obi-Wan has done it before, on his own and with Anakin. But it was different with Satine. Clearly.

Now, safely stowed away on Padme’s ship, they can really catch their breath for the first time. He wonders if she’s just learned she’s pregnant, or if she’s been sitting on it for a quiet moment.

He’s had her in his arms many times since their escape from Mandalore, but it is the first time he hasn’t worried they wouldn’t wake up in the morning. Its nice, to be safe. But it also means he can’t throw caution to the wind anymore. That’s already gotten them into quite a situation.

He took a deep breath, _there is no emotion, there is peace_. He releases everything into the Force.

“We should get some rest,” He says pulling back, “Can I walk you to your room?” He doesn’t want to suggest anything else. They are returning to the real world. The walls and rules have to go back into place.

 _But the baby,_ he thinks, as he delivers her to her room.

 _No_ , he won’t think about that now. He won’t think about anything. He returns to his quarters, sits on the bed, and meditates himself to sleep.

He wakes up many hours later. Bleary eyed and not well rested. They do advise younglings not to meditate to sleep, after all. It is great to clear your mind and connect with the force, but it doesn’t lead to good nights sleep.  

Obi-Wan goes into the ‘fresher, still half asleep, and almost jumps when he sees Satine, her head over the toilet, looking like hell; when she sees him, she manages a weak smile.

“Morning sickness is hell, Kenobi. I hope you don’t mind me using your bathroom, I didn’t want Amidala to notice anything.” She tells him, and for a moment Obi-Wan just stares; of course he doesn’t mind her using his bathroom, not after what else they’ve done, but somehow the reality of what she told him yesterday still hasn’t quite hit.

He sits down next to her, holding her close, because this is his fault, too, isn’t it? She leans back into him, warm and sweaty and smelling of vomit, yet still beautiful, and Obi-Wan knows with a sudden clarity that he is in more trouble than ever before.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check us out on tumblr [lukeleiahan](http://lukeleiahan.tumblr.com/) [darkmagyk](http://darkmagyk.tumblr.com/).


	2. Chapter 2

Satine’s flat is pretty, Obi-Wan notes as he carries her bags up. The furniture is expensive and nice, and there’s tasteful pictures and lots of books around, together with nice, Mandalorian decor.

Turning around, he sees Padme and Satine, standing close together. Padme had organized and furnished this flat after Anakin had informed her of Satine’s current problems.

“Just remember to call me if you need anything. My apartment isn’t far from here, and in a few days we’ll sit down together and figure out how you’ll go from here.” Padme says, a genuine smile on her lips. Obi-Wan is glad that she decided to help Satine, who, after all, just lost all she worked for since she was just a young girl. Deposed by the Death Watch, almost everything she did undone… Obi-Wan doesn’t know how Satine is still so … content with everything, but then again this whole situation had let to the shared night between him and her, which had let to… other problems.

He shakes his head for a moment and decides not to think about _that_ night. There is enough trouble as it is. Instead he puts Satine’s bags on her bed, quietly scanning the room for threats he knows aren’t there. Still, he can’t help it. Old habits die hard, especially those formed on the battlefield, and Obi-Wan’s life has depended on knowing his surroundings more often than not.

Finally, Padme hugs Satine one last time and leaves with Anakin. They are close, Padme and Anakin, and Obi-Wan is sure that at least on Anakin’s side, there is more than friendship there. He’d certainly caught them in a compromising position on the Senator’s ship. Someday, he’s going to have to confront his former padawan about it. Not today though, not when Obi-Wan himself has problems with that particular part of the code. He’s not that hypocritical.

He turns to Satine, and for a moment he can’t help but stare. Deposed from her throne, forced to flee from her home and almost murdered by a Sith, she still somehow looks breathtakingly beautiful, the blonde hair playing around her face as though painted, the blue eyes glinting with intelligence and sadness. Obi-Wan wants to hug her, wants to take her in his arms and keep her safe from all the dangers of the galaxy, wants to build a life with her and make her happy and…

It’s in this moment that Obi-Wan knows that he is really, absolutely, horribly in trouble.

“Can I help you with something else?” He asks as Satine looks at him, trying to cover up for the fact that he spend the last few minutes staring at her. She laughs, a sad little sound, and takes a step towards him.

“I don’t know. Can you turn back time?” There’s sadness, and anger, and so many emotions that it makes Obi-Wan uncomfortable, but she’s not angry at him, so he steps forward, slowly, telegraphing his movements so that she is not surprised, and hugs her.

She melts into his arms, letting her head rest on his chest. He feels more than sees her tears, but he doesn’t say anything, just lets her cry and hopes that it will get better, that she will be okay, maybe not today, but someday in the future.

“I’ve lost so much. I … don’t know how to go on, what to do know, and … I only wanted to the right thing, to help Mandalore, but now it turns out the people don’t even want the peace I gave them. What do I do with my life now?” She asks. She doesn’t want an answer, doesn’t expect him to say anything, but Obi-Wan does, anyway.

“You stay here. It’s safe, nobody is going to dare to attack you here. In a few days, you and Padme are going to work something out. Padme is good at that, and you know her, if she wants to archive something, than she does, no matter what she has to do to get it.”

Neither of them mentions the fact that Satine is pregnant, nor do they talk about whether or not she will keep the child, whether or not they will stay… well, what are they? Two old friends who fell into bed through tragedy, who aren’t in a relationship but are too attached to one another to truly go separate ways, who can’t be together but can’t be apart, either.

It makes Obi-Wan’s head swim to even think about it. This … friendship (relationship?) he has with Satine is so far outside of everything he ever did before, so against the code and all he ever learned… Obi-Wan knows the code. He grew up reciting it, he knows why it’s important, listened to the horror stories about the Jedi who broke it. But he can’t help it, can’t ignore the feelings he has for Satine, the strong, warm _something_ that floods him whenever he sees her. There is a part of him that’s incredibly, deliriously happy to know that she will be here, that she is pregnant and safe and that they might actually see each other more often now, but he tries to suppress this part, tries not to give in and ignore the code more than he already did.

Holding her close like this doesn’t exactly make it easier to follow the code.

After a while, they separate to unpack the few things Satine was able to take with her. It’s silent, and a bit uncomfortable, but Obi-Wan doesn’t know what to say, and neither does Satine. Soon everything is at it’s place, and they are standing in the middle of the room, looking at each other.

Obi-Wan turns to the door. “I guess I’ll best get going, you know…” He says, trying to figure out how to keep Anakin from making comments about this in the morning.

“Stay.” She says, and Obi-Wan does.

* * *

The first days are the worst. Obi-Wan tries to visit her as often as he can, and Padme comms every now and then, too, but they can’t help the fact that Satine is officially a refugee now, that she can’t go back home, at least not in the foreseeable future.

That, and her morning sickness is killing her. She doesn’t tell Obi-Wan about this, because he feels bad enough about this as it is (and he’s ashamed, and he is torn between her and the Jedi, and she never wanted to put him into this position, never wanted to force him to this point where he has to make a decision). She doesn’t tell Padme either, because while the other woman proves to be a wonderful friend, telling Padme would mean exposing Obi-Wan’s relationship to her, and she doesn't want to do that, doesn’t want to endanger Obi-Wan’s reputation and standing with the Jedi.

Then Obi-Wan comms her to tell her that he and Anakin have been reassigned, that they’ll be in the midst of battle again within the next two days. That he’s going to leave Coruscant, without knowing when he’ll be back. He sounds apologetic, and she knows he doesn’t want to leave, but things are as they are. She tells him to be safe and hopes that he will come back alive.

That evening, Padme shows up with ice cream and a chick flick. Satine doesn’t ask why, and Padme doesn’t say anything, but Satine has seen the way Anakin looks at Padme, and draws her conclusions

In the middle of the movie, both of them start crying for no particular reason. It’s stupid, Satine has never cried because of a movie before, but now she can’t stop. She pulls Padme close and they miss the rest of the movie, but somehow crying together is better than crying alone.

When they finally calm down somewhat, Satine wipes away her tears and looks at Padme, who’s eyes are as red as Satine knows her own to be.

“I’m sorry.” Padme says. “Hormones, you know.” Satine takes a deep breath, somehow not as surprised as she probably should be. She doesn’t know why Padme is telling her this, doesn’t know why she of all people is considered the right person to tell this secret to, but she is glad Padme did.

“Yes, me too.” She says, and then they start laughing, and there are a few tears there, too, but it feels good, freeing.

“Do you think the boys talked to one another?” Padme asks.

“Our boys? Who have never learned to properly verbalize any sort of feeling or emotion? No, I don’t think so.” Satine snorts, and draws a teary laugh from Padme.

“What a mess.” Padme says, and Satine can’t help but agree.

* * *

_Meanwhile, on a republic transport to the outer rim._

“You seem tense, Anakin.” Obi-Wan says, mostly to cover up his own uneasy mood.

Anakin shakes his head, and doesn’t look up from his data viewer, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure. I know you went to the senate yesterday afternoon.” Obi-Wan tries, “Did you learn anything?”

He whirls around, and if not for the reflexes of a Jedi, would likely have dropped his viewer. “What do you mean?” Anakin asks, a little wild eyed.

“Did Palpatine say anything to you? About this campaign?”

“Oh…yes, or…not anything particularly useful. Just said it was vital to the war effort and wished us luck.” It was about what Obi-Wan had expected.

"And did Senator Amidala tell you anything interesting?”

” _What_?”

“About where the senate is at on the war?”

"No,” Anakin answers almost too quickly. “I only saw her for a…um…minute. We _didn’t_ discuss anything important.”

And suddenly Obi-Wan can’t help but worry that something large had happened. Anakin normally kept his emotions much more controlled when the Padme was mentioned. Obi-Wan suspects it is to cover his feelings, but it still makes his current reactions strange.

He is debating pressing on when Anakin asks him something in return, “How is the Duchess settling in?”

Obi-Wan hopes he doesn’t look like deer caught in speeder lights, though judging by Anakin’s raised eyebrow, he is not so lucky.

"Last I spoke to her, she was doing well, physically.” Obi-Wan answers in his most diplomatic voice. “Though, understandably she is still very distressed by what took place.”

"Oh, The Chancellor mentioned visiting her,” Obi-Wan isn’t sure why, but the very idea make him uncomfortable, though by all rights should have done the opposite, “and he said she was ill.”

The pronouncement makes Obi-Wan uncomfortable for completely understandable reasons. He still tries to act casual as he rises. “She appeared in good health the last time I saw her. I should go check on our arrival time.” They both know they have at least another 12 hours in this hyperspace lane before they need to switch, but Anakin doesn’t call him out on it.

Obi-Wan will never admit to running away from that conversation. But that’s exactly what he does.

* * *

_3 weeks later._

It’s late when Anakin returns to base from his scouting mission. He’s told to clones to get some rest, but he needs to make a report and confer with Obi-Wan and maybe the council on what to do next.

He’s making a list of talking points in his head when he arrives in the quarters he’s sharing with Obi-Wan. But when he walks in, all of that leaves his mind.

Obi-Wan is looking at the computer terminal, and the screen shows Anakin’s most recent holonet search. _Infant care_.

It took every ounce of his years of Jedi training to not scream something very bad in Huttese.

"Anakin,” Obi-Wan says as he enters, looking wide eyed and worried. Anakin isn’t sure why. He had expected disappointment and judgement when Obi-Wan found out that Padme was pregnant. This is confusing.

"What are you doing?” He asks, because he doesn’t want to put any extra pieces together for his friend. Maybe he can convince Obi-Wan it was just a couple of old friends letting off stress and stream together without bringing up love or marriage or _attachment_.

"I was going to look something up,” Obi-Wan offers, “then I saw your last search.” Obi-Wan’s worry sang through their bond, and Anakin still couldn’t make sense of it. What could he be worried about. “Why were you looking up childcare?”

In that moment Anakin is very happy for his friendship with Palpatine and his involvement in the war, because only exposure to crafty politicians and three years of quick, creative thinking give him an even passable excuse. “We ran into some baby refugees,” he says quickly, “a couple of days ago, remember?”

He lets out a deep breath, and sees Obi-Wan do the same, his worry easing, “I figured if it was going to come up again, I might need to know what to do. Ahsoka was the one who was good with kids.” Mention his lost Padawan was a sure way to make Obi-Wan uncomfortable and distract him from the current line of thought. But it always has the unfortunate side effect of making Anakin deeply sad.

What if he never saw her again. He so wanted to introduce her to his child.

Obi-Wan nods, “good thinking,” he says, clearly as happy to avoid a discussion about Ahsoka as a discussion about why Anakin would need childcare experience. “It’s useful information.”

“You looked at it?” Anakin asks.

Another spike of worry. But it doesn’t carry in his voice. “It’s good information to know, and knowledge is a chief component of the code, in whatever the form.” Sanctimonious Jedi Obi-Wan, Anakin smiles despite himself, is something he has long handled.

"Well, it’s a good thing we are learning.” Anakin agrees.

It’s going to be a long six months. He gets the feeling Obi-Wan feels the same.

* * *

_Back on Coruscant_

Ice cream and movies become a thing. Satine is not sure how it happens, but before long she’s at Padme’s apartment every other day, watching movies, gossiping about other senators and helping each other through the morning sickness.

Poor Padme has way more problems with it than Satine, often feeling sick for hours and then craving the weirdest things at the weirdest times. Satine tries to help her through it, and Sabe, Padme’s former handmaiden/bodyguard is always there to offer assistance, too.

_(It had freaked Satine out a bit the first time she met Sabe, how similar those two women looked. If it weren’t for the different cloths, Satine is not sure she would be able to tell them apart so easily. The two Nabooians had laughed when Satine had mentioned it and told her that that was kind of the point)_

Satine’s case goes through the senate extremely slowly, even though Padme and her two friends Bail Organa and Mon Mothma have dedicated themselves to helping Satine. Honestly, Satine doesn’t think she’ll get help from here, and she’s not sure she should even accept it if given, because Mandalore is neutral, and Satine herself fought to keep it so. Wouldn’t it be the worst betrayal to now use the republic for help?

And because that’s not enough, there isn’t any contact to Obi-Wan. Satine knows he’s a Jedi, she knows he is busy fighting a war, she _knows_ he can’t comm her every other day, but she did expect him to at least write her sometimes. But almost a month later, and nothing from him. Padme says that’s normal, that Anakin doesn’t write her either. She tries to act as though that doesn’t bother her, but Satine sees the worry in Padme’s eyes, the sadness that comes from such long times without Anakin and the fear that something might happen.

Still, with everything that’s wrong, somehow Satine is happy. She doesn’t know why, doesn’t know how she can feel as good as she does, but she is happy. She has a place to live, she has friends to talk to, she can devote much time to reading and listening in senate meetings. Sometimes her and Padme sit together and figure out tricks to hide the fact that they are pregnant. They try on the weirdest dresses and laugh while Sabe rolls her eyes. Bail, who Satine is sure at least suspects about them and their Jedi friends (partners? Lovers? Boyfriends? Satine will have to clear that up with Obi-Wan, and soon) often comes for dinner and tells them stories about Alderaan. Satine is even told about the suspicions Padme and her friends have about Chancellor Palpatine.

Satine is happy, and she is not going to question that too much, because she knows that it can all crash down around her so very quickly.

“Do you have any family left?” The question comes out of the blue. Padme is not looking at her, determinately staring at the holo movie they’d picked for tonight.

“I have a nephew. Korkie. He’s still on Mandalore, hiding and trying to fight the Death Watch. And…” Satine takes a deep breath, she still isn’t sure what to think of Bo, “I have a sister. Bo-Katan. She used to be part of the Death Watch. I don’t know where she is now.”

Bo had been part of the group that had stormed the palace. She had tried and succeeded to dethrone Satine. However, when the Sith had tried to murder her, Bo had distracted him for that one decisive second that had allowed Obi-Wan to save her. Satine’s sister had dethroned her, but she had also saved her life. Satine finds it a bit difficult to figure out what she thinks of her.

Padme takes her hand and squeezes it, a gesture of comfort and warmth. Satine smiles at her friend, and asks about Padme’s family.

“My parents live on Naboo. My father is a builder, he teaches at the university. My sister and her husband live next door, with their daughters Ryoo and Pooja. I haven’t talked to them in three months. They have no idea what’s going on here.”

There’s a strange note in Padme’s voice. As though she is somehow missing her family while not wanting to be closer to them.

“Are you going to tell them?” Satine asks carefully. She curses herself for not having read up on Nabooian traditions; she doesn’t know what the standing of a single mother is in that society.

“Not yet. Maybe never.” Padme sighs. “I love my family, I really do, but they… they don’t know me. To them I am pretty successful girl they can talk about at parties, the name they can flaunt. They love me, sure, but… sometimes I feel as though they stopped knowing me when I became queen. To them I am still the 14 year old girl who decided to become a politician. It’s… complicated.”

This time it’s Satine who pulls Padme close. “Hey, you have family here, too, okay? You have Sabe, and Bail, and Captain Typho and your handmaidens, you have Anakin when he finally comes back, and you have me. We will be there for you, no matter what. And I doubt any of us still see you as a 14 year old.”

“Thank you.” Padme says, tears in her eyes that neither of them acknowledges.

* * *

_Month 4 into Outer Rim Siege_

“I’m sorry it's taken so long to get back to you,” Obi-Wan says when Satine’s from finally appears before him in flickering blue. The reception isn’t great. He’s done research in his moments alone. Careful to us his personal datapad instead of the large main computer terminal and to clear it after each holonet search, Obi-Wan had looked up as much as he could on human pregnancy.

She’s at six months now. All the medical reports he’s read say she should be showing. But he can’t tell. It might because of the poor quality of their connection. Or perhaps it's the cut of the dress. Its tight on her chest, showing off her form, but is billowy just below her bust. Its a lovely effect, and just seeing her, after nearly 4 weeks, he feels himself fall in love all over again. 

…Fall in _love,_ oh Force, no. He’d been so careful to avoid the word even in his own mind since he was a barely more than a child. Since he had known Satine the first time, and known, if she asked, that he would stay with her forever. 

His mouth has gone dry. He misses half of her next sentence. 

“…busy. Padme’s been a big help with all of that.” 

“Senator Amidala is a good friend to have.” Obi-Wan agrees, “And I know she and her compatriots are doing everything they can to help you and Mandalore.”

“Yes,” Satine says, “Bail has been helping me prepare some speeches, to take our plight to the holonet. He and Padme both think getting the people on our side will help.”

“I’m sure it will,” Obi-Wan says, and then, because it's hard to put it off the main reason for his call, “How are you feeling?”

“better,” She smiles, and it's the most beautiful thing in the universe. “My nausea is mostly gone and the medical droid I got assures me everything is progressing well. We are both healthy.”

“Good,” Obi-Wan says, and he lets out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Satine is safe and in good health, and so is the child. 

“I found out the sex.” 

“What?”

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. I mean, in some cultures its taboo to find out before birth.” she says, and Obi-Wan has studied various cultures from across the galaxy, but he can’t say he has ever read anything about knowing the sex of a baby before birth being a taboo or not. 

“Is Mandalore one of…”

“No, clearly,” Satine clarifies, “But sometimes people still elect not to know, and I wasn’t sure. You can’t take it back…but, really, I wanted to know. Do you? I don’t know if you…”

“I could not tell you if my birthplace has such a taboo,” Obi-Wan says, “but I am certain the Jedi do not.” He only flinches a little at the thought. “A boy or a girl?”

“Its a girl,” She tells him, “I can send you the intro-utero holo if you want.”

Obi-Wan’s mouth goes dry again. Satine’s daughter. His daughter. Their daughter. 

He is sure he has never been this blissfully happy about anything in his entire life. 

He’s going to have a daughter. It's amazing. It's a miracle.

…It's a nightmare. 

“You have still elected to not tell anyone?” he asks.

“It seems prudent.” she says, they had talked about it, very briefly, when she first told him.

It wasn’t as though there wasn’t plenty of room in the story of her escape for her to have lost the beloved father of her child. It might even help her case, pregnant refugee and all that. 

But she didn’t want to lie. She still doesn’t.

“Have you considered what you are going to do…” he trails off, but she knows. What will she do when the baby is born.

“That depends, will the Jedi Order come for her?” and that’s the sticking point, really. Jedi have children. Not all the time, but certainly often. They were normally force sensitive, particularity if they were humans or twi’liks or another species that had high rates of force sensitivity. They were taken to the temple just like everyone else, raised as ordinary order member. There weren’t even rules against the parent Jedi interacting with the child, because a true Jedi, who was unattached, wouldn’t care. 

Obi-Wan cares. He already cares so much, and he only found out she was a girl a moment ago.

But he cares about other things too.

He cares about protecting the republic. He cares about winning the war. He cares about his troops. He cares about the other Jedi Generals. And, in the ultimate irony, he cares about being a Jedi. About his order and his place in it. He doesn’t want to leave it just as he doesn’t want to miss out on his daughter and Satine and the family they could build together.

Oh all hells, _family_. He wants that. He didn’t know until just now, but he does. Just as he wants to continue to serve the Force and the Republic as a Jedi.

"It will depend on several factors, not least among them, if she’s force sensitive enough.” He explains.

“I’m sure she is.” Satine puts in, though he knows she has no actual way to tell.

“Well, if she is…they won’t steal her away in the night. You’ll get a choice, but they will likely expect me to intercede on the Orders behalf. Even,” he anticipates her next question, “if they don’t know I’m the father. That won’t help, but if they know we are friends they’d still ask. But biological family members often feel similar in the force. They’ll know. And they will expect me to convince you. They’ll expect me to give her over to the order.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Will you?” Satine asks, “Will you try to convince me? Do you want her to become a Jedi?”

The truth, unquestionably, was yes. He loves (that blasted word again) being a Jedi. The idea of sharing that with his daughter is the most amazing he’s ever imagined. 

But actually sharing it, not watching with compassionate disinterest as though she was just another youngling. Just like how teaching her alone in a luxury apartment, sharing only what he knows isn’t the same as watching his community help to teach and shape her and watching her teach and shape it in turn.

In a second Satine fades away and in her place stands a little girl, maybe 5 or 6. She’s running through one of the temple gardens, chopper hair flying behind her. She lets out a giggle and then throws herself at a tall man standing in Jedi robes. As he picks her up and swings her around, Obi-Wan sees his face, as Anakin settles the little girl on his hip. She leans in and kisses his cheek and he hugs her tightly before turning to speak to someone beside him, before everything fades. And he sees Satine again. 

Obi-Wan doesn’t have regular force visions the way Anakin does. In his entire life he’s only had 15 clear cut visions and only half of them have come true. This isn’t a vision. But, he wants it to be. He wants that little girl and he wants her to know the love and affection of her parents but also of people like Anakin Skywalker. He doesn’t want to lose that for himself.

“Well, will you let her become a Jedi?” Satine repeats, when he doesn’t respond right away, lots in his own thoughts.

“I don’t know,” He says honestly, “It isn’t just my choice, but…” He feels Anakin’s presence in the force approaching. “Anakin’s coming,” he says abruptly. 

“Have you considered talking to Anakin about everything?” Satine suggests.

“I can’t do that.” Obi-Wan says, “You know I can’t.”

“I think you can. I think he might understand.”

“Anakin’s a Jedi.”

“So are you.”

“Anakin is a better Jedi then I am.” he sighs, “Anakin is the best Jedi I know, he would not…” Understand, approve. Accept this. Obi-Wan doesn’t know how to finish his sentence. 

“Obi…”

“I really have to go,” he says, he can hear Anakin walking down the hall now, “Satine, I…I lo…” The door slides open “I look forward to hearing from you again soon.”

She looks disappointed, and Obi-Wan feels Anakin come to stand beside him, his confusion evident in the force. 

“Thank you for checking in on me.” Satine says, “Your concern is touching.” 

“Your Grace,” Anakin says respectfully, though clearly baffled. 

“Master Skywalker. I’m having dinner with Padme tonight. She’ll be glad to know I’ve seen you…both of you, that you are alright.”

“Thank you, Satine,” Obi-Wan says quietly. She doesn’t look pleased as she cuts the connection. 

“What was that about.” Anakin asks. 

“I was checking in, making sure she’s still comfortable.” He turns to look at Anakin, and he thinks of the little red haired girl hugging his partner, his best friend. And he wants. He wants too much.

The Temple archives are bursting with stories of Jedi who want things they cannot have.

It's dangerous.

He does not stop. 

* * *

_2 Days Later_

“Is that caf?” Is the first thing Anakin says after not speaking to his wife for four days. “Caf is bad for the baby.”

“It's hot chocolate, Anakin.” Padme assures him. If it would translate via holo, she’d show him the contents

“Is that ok for the baby?”

“According to my medical droid, who you programmed, yes, it is.” Padme promises. 

“Ok, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” She says, “and I’m also sure it's the only thing that’s helping the morning sickness.”

“What?” Anakin’s eyes bug, “Morning sickness, but you’re in your 7 months along, everything I read said you should be over that by now. What did the droid say, do you need to talk to a sentient doctor? Is there a fault in the programming? I could…” 

“Anakin?” She cuts him off, “Have you been reading holonet medical advice again?”

“Of course,” he says, “I want to know what’s happening with you and the baby all the time.”

She makes a little hum he can’t quite interpret, “And in your research, did you find the words ‘every pregnancy is different.’ anywhere?” 

“…Yes, in a couple.”

“Well, mine is different from other people’s. But the medics are top notch and I’m well within all healthy limits.” She promises. 

“You’re sure?” He asks, “because I can be on Coruscant in 18 standard hours if I leave now. All the temple archives say that pregnant women require support and companionship and…”

“You looked in the temple archives?” she doesn’t sound angry, just surprised. Anakin hopes she’s not worried about their secret. 

“Yeah, well, actually Obi-Wan had them up. He was researching something.” He notes Padme’s half smile, but can’t make sense of it, “I was worried he’d figured something out, but I don’t think he has anymore. I just told him we might as well both have the information if he’s going to all the trouble to look it up.”

“Oh, Ani, have you ever considered telling him?” Padme asks.

“Telling him what, that I broke the code. That I have failed as a Jedi. That I let him down?”

“That he’s going to be an uncle.” She says, and she’s honest to gods smirking, like that’s funny. Like he’s not going to loose the closest thing to a brother he has when this all comes out. 

“It's not funny.”

“It is, actually.” Padme disagrees, “You should talk to him, Ani. He loves you.”

“No he doesn’t, he’s too good for that.” And he isn’t sure why she’s frowning, like it wasn’t a compliment.

“I think things would get better if you weren’t sitting out in deep space stewing.” She offers.

“I’m not stewing,” he insists, “I’m worried. I’m a galaxy away, there’s a war going on, there’s a bounty on your head, there’s a Sith lord on running a muck. Anything could happen to you.”

“Anything could happen to you too, Ani.” she says softly, “I’m worried too, but I at least get to watch sappy holos and eat Ice cream with Satine. I worry about you mentally just as much as physically.”

He’s at a bit of a loss after that one. “I have training for this, Padme, I’m a Jedi. this is what we do.”

She looks dubious, “then do _it_ , and try to worry less about me. I’ll be fine, I promise. I have a senate session I need to get ready for. I love you.”

“I’ll comm. you later today.” Anakin says, “I can probably distract Obi-Wan with some kind of mechanical malfunction and…”

“Anakin, don’t do anything rash. Besides, Satine is bringing over a holodrama about Jedi. We are both terribly excited, Bail recommend it. _Shadows of the Temple,_ or something.”

“No, that one horrible, we use to play a drinking game with it as padawans.” Anakin says, “Why watch fake Jedi when you could talk to a real one.” He gives her his most charming smile.

“When the real Jedi needs rest too, and so does his master.” Padme advises. “I’ll talk to you sometime in the next week. And try not to worry. Things work themselves out in the end.”

In Anakin’s experience, things didn’t tend to work out until you applied a lightsaber, But there was nothing he could do right now. Maybe tomorrow he’d try to call again. And if that didn’t work, he’d comm. the Chancellor for an update. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Meanwhile, back at Coruscant, Bail POV**

The room is hot and uncomfortable. It was only supposed to be a short meeting, two hours tops, but now they've been in here for five hourse already and there's no signs that they might actually finish any time soon.

He casts a worried glance to Padme. She's holding up well, considering, but he's worried anyway. She's a bit pale, and Bail knows that she has problems with morning sickness, which he knows can extend over the whole day _. (He read up on it, years ago, when he and Breha first decided to try for a child on their own.)_ Right now, Padme seems to be all right, but he doesn't know how long that will last and he doesn't want to risk her over exerting herself.

Padme catches his eye and smiles reassuringly. She knows he's worried. They are currently in this weird state where he knows that she knows that he knows she's pregnant, and Bail even knows who the father is _(honestly, how in the world Anakin and Padme thought they were subtle is beyond him, but then again he's pretty sure that none of the Jedi, save for Obi-Wan of course, know. Make of that what you will)_ , but they've never actually talked about it. Bail is not sure why, just that it never seemed fitting, never quite seemed to be the moment mention it.

“How about we give it a rest for today and come back to this tomorrow?” He asks after another hour. Everyone turns to look at him, and he sees Padme leaning back into her chair, a shadow of relief and exhaustion in her eyes, although she hides it well. Bail is pretty sure that he can only see it because he knows her so well.

The room is emptying quickly, the other senators just as relieved to be finished for today. Why a discussion on a simple tax law takes so long, Bail's not sure, but then again the Malastari senator Ask Aak is always happy to cause trouble just for the fun of it. Bail can't stand the Gran, but he manages to smile nicely as the other senator leaves, anyway.

Within a few minutes, it's only him and Padme there. Padme sinking down in her chair, suddenly looking pale and sickly. She's exhausted, and Bail feels both honored that she actually lets him see it and worried because he doesn't think he's ever seen her look so tired and worn.

“Do you need a minute there?” He asks, trying not to sound patronizing. Padme is a good friend, but she does not like anyone telling her what to do. At all.

“No, it's... it's fine. I didn't get that much sleep last night.” It's a lie, not even particularly well told, and they both know it. Bail nods and plays along anyway.

“You're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you? We need to discuss how to proceed with Satine's situation.” Padme smiles at him, tired but genuine.

“Of course I will.” It's not like Bail had other plans anyway, and Satine needs to meet other people a bit more. The exiled duchess of Mandalore likes having friends around her, and just sitting in her apartment with only Padme visiting isn't good for her. Of course, Satine, like Padme, has good reasons not to be seen outside her appartment too often.

Bail offers Padme a hand and pulls her up. She gives him a grateful smile that almost covers up the exhaustion in her eyes. Her dress, dark blue with silver highlights, flows around her prettily, and Bail marvels at how much it conceals. Padme has to be in the fifth month of her pregnancy now, at least, she should be showing, but in the dresses she wears, he can't tell at all.

They leave the senate building together, and he waits with Padme until Padme's old friend and bodyguard Sabe arrives. Then he goes to his own flat, not two streets away from Padme's.

Bails flat is big for only one person, and it's full of Alderaani things, furniture and pictures and holos and all sorts of little keepsakes. It almost makes him feel as though he is at home, but of course he isn't. Coruscant just isn't Alderaan, no matter how hard he tries to forget it.

He comms Breha, far away in Alderaa, at _home_. She is as beautiful as always, the long dark hair pinned up in an elaborate braid with a mass of ornate clips and frills. She looks a bit tired, not nearly as bad as Padme, but still noticeable, and Bail knows it's because it's night on Alderaan. He had wanted to call earlier, of course, but with the meeting just not ending...

“Good evening, love.” She greets him, smiling and with warmth in her pretty dark eyes. Bail wants to reach through the holo to touch her, to hug her, but he has to content himself with smiling back at her.

“Good afternoon to you too, my dear.” He answers. It's good to see her, good to talk to her. Bail misses his wife more than anything else whenever he is on this planet.

“You look as though you've had a long day. I hope everything is well?” He asks. Breha is as much a workaholic as Bail himself is, it's one of the reasons they get along so well, one of the things that allowed them to fall in love even though both of them are always busy, almost always far away from the other.

“A minor dispute in the Alderaanian senate, nothing to worry about. Just a few of the newer senators wanting to show off. Though you do look a bit tired, too, love. Are you well?” She turns his own question back at him, like she always does. Bail smiles.

“Yes, I'm fine. Like you, I've simply had a bit of a long day.” Bail tells her a bit about the new tax law, about Ask Aak and five hours in an overly hot room. He feels himself relaxing, feels the tension bleed out of his body as Breha starts telling him all about her day.

A while later, Breha asks about Padme rather suddenly. Breha knows, because Bail would never keep something from her, and because he knows that she won't tell, and because she's Padme's friend, too.

“She's doing … well, she's all right.” Bail tells his wife. “Tired, and sad, because Anakin hasn't been here for months, but she's holding up. She still doesn't want anyone to know, and I'm sure she hasn't commd her family, either.” He shakes his head. It's Padme's choice, of course, but he wishes she'd ask for help. There's so many people who would love to help her, so many friends and family members who'd come in a second if asked.

Bail sighs, and looks at his beautiful wife. There's a sad look in her eyes, dark and heavy, and he knows what she is thinking about before she opens her mouth.

“I shouldn't be jealous of her. I really shouldn't. I should be happy for her, and I am, truly, but still...” Breha is blunt, like she always is with Bail. He appreciates it., as he always does. It's not often people in their profession are this honest.

“We'll have children. We can still adopt.” It's a topic they've talked about before, an old ache that's never fully healed. They can't have children biologically. It had caused them many tears, many visits at various doctors and long talks before they had been able to accept it.

Usually, they don't talk about it, prefer to not ignore but also no acknowledge it, but now, with two close friends of Bail pregnant, it's impossible to not think about it. He envies them, envies Anakin and Obi-Wan, who'll be fathers in a few months, even though he knows that they'll have their own problems. Two Jedis who have broken the Code so blatanly... it's going to be a mess, and Bail knows it. He's going to support Padme and Satine through it, of course, because they're his friends and because they will need him.

Still... he wishes for a child of his own, wishes to hold it, to teach it, to sing and read to it, to play and to … he wishes to be a father. It's something that keeps him up at night sometimes, especially now, that the topics of children and becoming parents are never far from his mind anyway.

“You're right. We should look into that soon, don't you think so?” Breha asks. She's very matter of fact, but Bail knows her well enough to pick up on the sadness in her eyes. She wants a child as much as he does.

“Yes. I'll come home at the end of the month if there's no emergency, and then we'll look into the procedures there, what do you think?” He says.

“Good. I love you, Bail.” She tells him.

“I love you too, Breha.”

* * *

“And then he asks to go over it _again_. I know he wants to do this right, and I respect that his people have their own grievances against this, but that was really just him being difficult on purpose.” Padme says, shaking her head. Satine next to her smiles, and her eyes sparkle, only in part due to the light being reflected in them.

There are candles on the table, and the flowers Bail had brought as a guest gift _(usually he brings wine, the good, heavy red wine Alderaan is famous for, but for obvious reasons that would have been inappropriate today)._ The food, made by one of Padme's handmaidens, is excellent, a tasty Nabooian dish with some Mandalorian spices.

The mood is similarly good. Padme has obviously recovered from her exhaustion, and Satine livens up in their company, as Bail had known she would. They're both wearing comfortable clothes, Satine and Padme, and for once the fact that they are pregnant is showing. Bail feels quite honored that they trust him enough to be so obvious about it, that they don't feel the need to hide their situation from him.

“Believe me, taxes are one of the few things I really don't miss. You always have to be careful to not ask for too much, because not everyone can pay that much, but you also need to get enough so that you can keep your government running. And of course, none of the rich people want to pay any more than absolutely necessary, although they definitively could.” Satine says, a slightly wistful look in her eyes.

“Well, you will have to get into that again when you get back. And I promise you, you will curse it.” Padme tries to cheer her friend up, trying to make her smile. But Satine just shakes her head again

“Let's not... let's not make illusions, here. I'm not going to get back there, not for quite some time, at least. The people of Mandalore have chosen the Death Watch and it's martial ways, and not the pacifistic philosophy I was trying to implement. I am enough of a democrat to admit defeat in the face of such an open choice against me.” Satine is looking at the flowers, but her thoughts seem far away.

“Don't give up hope yet. You are still someone the people of Mandalore look up to, Duchess Kryze.” Bail says, putting a deliberate emphasis on Satines title. She smiles sadly, her thoughts probably still with her people.

“Let's focus on more immediate problems.” Satine says, obviously trying to chase away the sadness of the moment. “Has Mon received any answer from Senator Zar yet?”

Senator Fang Zar from Sem Prime is one of the few people Bail, Padme and Mon trust enough to involve in their plans for a petition to cut down the rights of the position of the Supreme Chancellor. As much as Bail used to like Sheev Palpatine, as much as he used to trust him, the man has been amassing power for years now, in a way that is deeply suspect to Bail.

As it turned out, Bail was not the only one to distrust Palpatines motives. Both Padme and Mon had shared his suspicions, and soon they had started to try to figure out a way to make sure that Palpatine would not be able claim too much power.

For that, they had started to build an alliance with other senators, all of whom shared their concern. Senator Fang Zar was one of their earliest allies, and he is the one who is currently looking up on the obscure laws of the Republic, so that they'd be prepared for any possible legal defense Palpatine might use when they bring forth their petition.

“No, he's still searching.” Padme says. “He's been sharing anecdotes about those really strange early laws, though. He thinks them highly amusing.”

“You know, I have lots of free time myself. It's not like I really have a job, or anything to do, really. I could help Senator Zar.” Satine offers. She looks hopeful, and Bail knows that she is lonely, and bored, and that she really, really needs to find something that makes her feel useful again. He shares a short look with Padme, who seems to agree with him.

“Sure.” He says. Satine beams at him.

* * *

They're in the senate for the weekly war updates when they hear it. Chancellor Palpatine talks about the victories of their troops and the Jedi, about how proud he is to be the leader of this great Republic. Bail hardly listens. It's just another battle of this useless war, another fight they shouldn't have to carry out in the first place.

Padme, who shares his senate pod for today, looks rather tired. Bail knows she doesn't sleep well anymore, knows that she has nightmares and that she feels sick almost all the time. Padme sees him looking at her, and attempts to smile. It only makes it more obvious how tired she is.

Then Palpatine mentions that Anakin Skywalker has been wounded. Immediately, chatter rises up in the ranks of the senators. Anakin Skywalker, the Hero With No Fear, hurt? This could be a huge blow to the republic, a huge loss, Bail notes distractedly, but most of his attention is on Padme right next to him.

His dear friend is suddenly extremely pale. She almost looks as though she is going to faint, as though she is just going to break down right here. Carefully, he moves closer to her. He doesn't ask her if she is alright, he knows perfectly well what a stupid question that would be. Instead, he just puts his hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring and to show her that he is there for her.

“He is going to be okay. He has to be okay.” Padme whispers, eyes full of fear. She doesn't truly seem to see Bail, too shocked by the news to do anything but repeat the same few words the whole time.

Suddenly, she presses a hand on her stomach. She goes even paler, what Bail had honestly didn't thought possible, and her knees buckle under her. Quickly, Bail puts his arms around her to stop her from falling down.

“My baby.” She breathes. “It... it must know what happened. It's moving... much more than it's ever done before... my gods, you don't think... you don't think there's anything wrong with my baby, do you?” Padme's eyes are big with fear, her breath is stuttering.

Bail can feel fear run through his veins like cold water, but he keeps his voice steady and strong as he says: “No, Padme. Everything will be alright. Your baby is reacting to your shock, nothing else. This is what happens sometimes, it's normal.”

He can see the sweat run down her brows now, knows that she won't be able to stay here much longer. Desperately, he glances over to Palpatine, hoping the man will end the meeting, and thankfully for once he actually luck is actually on his side. The Supreme Chancellor smiles patronizingly and ends the sitting with a wave of his hands.

Quickly, Bail comms Sabe and asks her to pick them up at the senate. Then he turns back to Padme, who is still deathly pale and nonresponsive.

“Padme, look at me.” He says. “Everything is going to be okay.” He knows it's a meaningless thing to say, knows that it probably won't even reach Padme, not really. But it's the only thing he knows to say, the only thing that comes to his mind.

“Anakin is... he can't be...” Padme is still mumbling, her hands on her stomach. He suspects she might truly collapse at every moment, and carefully lowers her to the floor of the pod, before programming said pod to fly them to the ground.

Sabe, thank the gods, is already waiting for them. When she sees Padme sitting in the pod, sweating and breathing heavily, Sabe goes almost as pale as Padme and quickly goes to her friend. She's kneeling down in front of her, saying something that somehow seems to cut through the haze in Padme's mind.

“Help me here.” Sabe hisses, and Bail hurries over. Together, they get Padme back to her feet, and manage to guide her to the shuttle Sabe had flown here without attracting too much attention from the other Senators.

“What in the world happened?” Sabe asks as they are safely in Padme's shuttle, away from any prying eyes. Padme is sitting in one of the seats, at least somewhat comfortable, while a med droid is looking over her.

“News from the war. Anakin Skywalker has been injured. She's got a shock, I guess.” Bail says, noticing for the first time that there is sweat running down his own back, too. _Padme's not the only one with a shock,_ he realizes with surprise.

Bail pilots the shuttle back to Padme's while Sabe stays with Padme, and when he hears the med droid diagnose a shock and advice a resting period of a few hours at least, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Together, Bail and Sabe get Padme into her bed, before Bail leaves the room so that Sabe can help Padme dress in something more comfortable and he can call Satine. The Mandalorian, bless her heart, immediately comes over from the library to help out.

It's a few hours later, when Padme has calmed down and stops looking as though she is going to collapse at any moment, that Sabe gives Bail a glass of sweet red wine.

“How did we even get into this mess?” She asks him, eyes on Padme and Satine, who are sitting on the couch and discussing something in hushed voices. _Probably their Jedi "friends"_ , Bail thinks.

“I have absolutely no idea.” Bail answers, and downs the glass.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, wow, this took forever. It is entirely my (Darkmagyk's) fault, because this chapter was my responsibility and I totally dropped the ball. The next chapter will not take this long.

“Are you ok?” Are the first words he says to her in person in over 5 months. His hands resting lightly on her shoulders after she broke their kiss. If they were anywhere else in the galaxy right now, she’s sure she’d already be crying in his arms. 

“Am I ok?” She smiles, blinking the tears away with a politician's practice, “I’m not the one who just got back from an active war zone, and then had to rescue the chancellor.” She keeps her eyes on his face (not exactly a hardship) so she doesn’t stare at his shoulder, where she knows he got shot just a few short weeks ago.”

She’s read all the medical reports, she knows that he spent a mere hour in a bacta tank and is as healthy as ever, but that doesn’t make her concern any less real. 

“I’m not the one who’s pregnant.” His eyes drag the length of her. Giving her a quizzical look “Are you alright?”

“You’re home,” She smiles, “I couldn’t be happier.”

“And the baby?” he asks with a frown directed at her middle. 

“Has been hidden by some very clever tailors.” She takes his flesh hand and settles it on her obscured stomach. There’s no way he can feel it move through the layers of velvet, and a baby doesn’t have a distinct force presence until after they are born. But Anakin can feel the shift in Padme’s force presence, rich with new midichlorians. The grin he can feel forming involuntarily on his face probably looks really stupid.

“What are you thinking about?”

He wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. “I’ve never been so happy.” 

***

Obi-Wan remembers, with clarity, how nervous Anakin had been, three years ago, when they had gone to meet Padme again. He’d thought it a young man’s ridiculousness. Such an assertion was proven true, when he saw Satine for the first time in so many years, when he went to investigate Death Watch 2 years ago. He had been pleased to see her, and to know she was well, but there had been no nervousness or worry. 

Now, as he rides the lift up to Satine’s apartment, he thinks he understands. He’s about to see the woman he loves, knowing, as surely as he does the force, that he loves her. He will feel her force presence mingled with that of new midichlorians that will soon become her daughter. 

He hopes he doesn’t embarrass himself as Anakin had that first meeting. He knows he will not be able to rise above his feelings for Satine the way Anakin was able to rise above his feelings for Padme

He hits the buzzer, and hears the mechanical chime ring inside. It sounds like something classical and Mandalorian she had shared with him long ago. It succeeds in making his nerves worse. 

He doesn’t know the woman who answers the door, but he manages a smile at her regardless. She’s young. Younger than Anakin, certainly, and only a bit older then Ahsoka had been the last time he’d seen her. Though she lacks the deep knowlegde of war that ages all current Jedi Padawans up these days. 

“Can I help…” She trails off as her eyes slide down his body, clearly identifying the lightsaber and his robes. 

“I’m here to see the Duchess, if she’s available.” He says 

“R...r...right.” The girl nods, but makes no move to let him in or turn him away. It takes her several second to remember to ask “Who should I tell her is calling?”

“Obi-Wan…”

“ _Kenobi?_ ” The girl finished for him, a shrike as much as anything. Her eyes going impossibly wider. 

“Mari, is something wrong?” and Satine’s voice, without the modulation of millions light years of space, is the most beautiful things he’s ever known until she comes into the foyer and he gets a look at her. 

He’s heard pregnant humans are often described as ‘glowing.’ He’s met several pregnant women before, and he’s always found that description a bit silly. He has been wrong.

She’s wearing a deep purple gown, that looks lovely on her, and is folded in such a way to obscure her pregnancy, All of Obi-Wan’s reading suggested that a woman’s body changes in a variety of other ways, but, Obi-Wan is woefully unfamiliar with her, and, dolled up as she is, cannot pinpoint the physical changes. But Satine is _radiant_.

Part of it, he can tell, it a shift in her Force presence. It has always been beautiful, for as long as he has known her, but now it's laced with something else warm and familiar and comforting. But there is something else. Something transcendent. She glows like a sun. 

He wants to take her in his arms. He wants to kiss her. He wants to hold her forever. (He also kind of wants to stop sounding like a late night holodrama romance.) 

The only thing stopping him is the woman who answered the door, and is still staring at him like he’s some manner of sentient she’s never seen before.

He smiles at her, all long practiced Jedi grace and easy charm. “The Duchess is who I was hoping to speak too.”

The woman, Mari, turns on her heel and addressed Satine, “Your Grace,” She manages to stammer out, and Obi-Wan can tell she’s even more nervous than he is, which is quite a feat. “G..Gen...General Kenobi is here to speak to you.” 

Satine smiles at Mari, and manages to make it only a bit patronizing. “Thank you.” She say, “Could you make us some tea?”

“Of course, your grace,” She bow is fast and jerky but technically sound, and then Mari scurries away to where Obi-Wan remembers the kitchen. 

“I needed help.” Satine answers before he can voice the question. “Keeping my schedule, making arrangements, even fixing my hair, sometimes.” she smiles “I’m certainly not enough her to justify a full staff.” Like she had on Mandalore went unsaid, “But I found myself quite overwhelmed.”

Obi-Wan nods, “And how did you meet her?”

“The Mandalorian consulate. She was a student, spending a semester at the University of Coruscant. She was suppose to go home. But...clearly that isn’t possible now. She needed a job, I needed help. It seemed like the perfect situation.” 

He looks towards the kitchen, “if you say so.”

“there is no need to be like that.” Satine says, she sits down on one of the couches, and motions for Obi-Wan to do the same. He situates himself on the opposite end. 

“She’s smart and clever and makes excellent tea. Padme has lent some of her aids to help her acclimate to everything. She was hired by chance and circumstance, but she’s excellent for it.”

“She seems nice, but nervous.”

“She is a bit uncomfortable around celebrities. But she gets better as time goes on. She can look Senator Organa in the face now. She just wasn’t expecting you. But she’s really been a gods sent. She’s the third of seven children. And her older sister has several children as well, she’s considerable help with the pregnancy.”

“She knows!?!”

The look he gets in response to his little outburst reminds him distinctly of one Qui-Gon used in his youth, a kind of cynical, disbelieving judgment. He’s tried (and likely failed) to use it on Anakin over the past 13 years. 

“She lives here. And helps me get dressed. And made me tea when I had morning sickness. Of course she knows I’m pregnant. It's not something that can easily be missed.” she lowers her voice sharply, “she doesn’t know you are the father, and she has neither asked nor speculated. And discretion, I’m sure you know, it perhaps the most valuable skill in a political aid.”

Obi-Wan can’t fault her that. He tries to push the worry from his mind, but the Force nags at him to realize something that has been said. He should follow that thread and figure out what the Force wants from him. But with Satine so close, even the disapproving look in her eye, it's hard to care about anything. 

This, clearly, is why attachment is forbidden. He’d ignoring the Force and he doesn’t mind. 

“How are you feeling?” He asks, and feels terrible he didn’t inquire after her health first. 

“I’m fine.” She smiles, “A bit tired, but I’ve mostly been helping Bail and Padme with their petition.” She frowns, and he follows.

“Petition?”

“Perhaps you haven’t heard off in the outer rim, but Chancellor Palpatine has been voted even more emergency powers. But its…”

“Concerning,” Obi-Wan finishes, and despite the serious topic, he loves the small smile that forms on her lips. He remembers it being the same one she got when they were first acquainted and he finished one of her thoughts. 

“Exactly.”

“The Jedi Council has a meeting to discuss it tomorrow.” He sighs.

“I assume, from your earlier worry, you have also not told the Jedi Council of our situation.” 

He winces, “It would create certain complications.” 

“They’d expect her to be sent to the order.” Satine says. 

“Yes,” He agrees, and suddenly becomes aware that they’ve both moved to the center of the couch, it would be so easy for him to grasp her hands. She is carrying his child, but he still hesitates. “But I’m more worried about their reaction to my having fallen in love.” Her eyes went wide. Even in their time on the run, holding her close, kissing her skin, making their child, he’d never said it. 

“I don’t think that’s allowed for Jedi.”

“No, nor is having families.” And he grasps her hand then, bringing his other hand around her shoulder. It fells perfect, having her in his arms again. “But here I am.”

“Are you expected at the temple soon?” Satine asks.

“No, I gave my report on our rescue of the Chancellor and Dooku’s escape before I came here. Anakin is probably still being wined and dined by the senate.” he let out the world weary sigh of a very tired man.

“Then you should stay here.”

“I was hoping I could join you for dinner.” 

“Of course.” Satine agrees, “But you could also stay the night.” 

***

Padme is going to die. 

It clear as day, written in the stars, and invading his dreams. 

The medical droid she’d purchased is sitting unobtrusively in a corner of her bedroom. He walks it into the main room, and slowly begins to tinker. 

Something must be wrong. And he was determined to go through all of the droids data and figure it out. 

He will not let history repeat itself. He will not lose his wife and child like he lost his mother. 

***

_The way of the sith, betrayal is._

He remembers being told that as little more than a child. As a new padawan to the grandmaster himself. He had been trying to grasp the ancient enemy, even if it was long since dead. 

It really wasn’t as though Sidious told him differently when he promised him power, and status and an end to the pain. But had not imagined this. 

_Skywalker is key to our plan._ Sidious always said. _His fall will be our rise._

He merely left out the fact that Skywalker’s fall was to be his demises as well. 

 

And with the blades against Dooku’s neck, the boy had been ready to do it, to kill Dooku, defenseless and in cold blood. 

And his master had encouraged it. 

It is infuriating. 

The boy had been so close, he could feel the torment in the Force, even now. 

As a Sith, he is not prone to things like gratefulness. But he is...pleased that Skywalker didn’t kill him. 

He doesn’t know what changed Skywalker’s mind at the last minute. But he knows that Sidious is not happy, even now. 

And his _master_ calls to him and expects him to come like a dog. 

No more. He is done being a pawn. He is done sacrificing his armies, his fortune, himself, for that ungrateful sith scum.

The way of the sith, betrayal is. 

***

Obi-Wan sees, now, why Mari is such a valuable addition to Satine’s household. She make amazing sweet rolls and meiloorun jam, makes tea almost as well as Anakin, and nothing about her manor or emotions indicates she has any thoughts on the fact that a well known Jedi spend the night with the Duchess, and hadn’t even pretended to use the second bedroom.

She still stammers her good morning. But Obi-Wan can tell it's because of who he is, not the situation. 

She’s perfectly at ease when Satine arrives, dressing gown drawn over her sleeping clothes, but doing nothing to hide her pregnancy. 

Mari presents her with her tea, wishes her a pleasant morning, before she excuses herself to check on Satine’s schedule for the day. 

Obi-Wan and Satine eat in silence for a moment. Their time on the run was all adrenaline and chaos. When he’d visited her after her relocation, but before he’d been shipped out, it had been professionalism and distant. Last night had been none of those things. It was casual and comfortable, slow for all of its passion. And this morning is quietly domestic, in a way Obi-Wan had been convinced didn’t exist outside of holo-comedies. 

“There is a persistent rumor, among the most sensationalist journalist” Satine offers, to have something to say, “That the Jedi have engineered the war to take over the republic.” 

“Whoever is saying that doesn’t know the Jedi very well.” He says after a moment's thought.

“No?”

“No, You see, though most Jedi do like certain individual politicians,” he gave a nod to her with a smile, “On the whole, we aren’t very fond of politics.”

“You prefer to solve problems with lightsabers.” Satine critiques. 

Obi-Wan didn’t take the bait, “We prefer to keep our options open. And we are, at our hearts, guardians or the republic. I can’t think of anyone on the Council wanting to _rule_ it. I think, in many ways, it goes against our nature.”

“So the rumors are untrue.” 

“Unless they aren’t sharing it with me, But I can’t help but think we’d be rather bad at it.” His grin fell, “But I think ruler may also be less than ideal, Palpatine is worrying me. Anakin saw him, I’m sure. Hopefully we can get his take during the council meeting.”

“Have you told Anakin about the baby?” Satine asks.

And Obi-Wan chokes on his roll in response

“No,” he says, before he could list all of the MANY reasons that was a terrible idea. 

“I think,” Satine is looking straight into his face. Her hands rest on her round stomach. She seems very serious, “You should. You can’t keep it a secret forever. We can’t keep it a secret forever.” 

“No. 

“Anakin would understand.” And Obi-Wan knows she’s only met him a few times, he doesn’t know why she’s suggesting it, “And you have to talk to someone about it.”

“Anakin would be very disappointed.” Is all he can say. 

“You think he would inform the Council?” 

“No,” He says without a question, “He’d never do that. But he’s a great man, and a great Jedi. He...I” She slumped, “I am afraid. I don’t want him to know I’m a hypocrite,”

“How are you a hypocrite.” 

“I thought him the code, how to be a jedi, I trained him. and For him to know I have defied the rules…” “You didn’t do anything wrong,” 

And the worst part is that Obi-Wan agrees with her. He loves her and he loves his daughter and everytime he thinks about it, the Force seems to hum in agreement. But it's not the path of a Jedi and Anakin…

“I did something I always told him couldn’t be done,” He says, “I’m afraid he’ll be very upset.”

“Probably,” Satine agrees without any reassurance “you should tell him anyway.”

 

Obi-Wan hung his head in shame. 

Mari came bustling back in then, saving Obi-Wan and handing Satine a data reader, as she gave her a quick overview of her correspondence for the day and her itinerary: innumerable Meetings at the Senate, Lunch with Senator Amidala, she’s been invited to a party, but Mari intends to politely decline. 

Satine thanks her and Mari wonders off to send regrets as Satine goes through her new datareader. 

 

Satine’s days are full, and Obi-Wan can’t help but worry about her. 

“I hope you aren’t over taxing yourself,” He says, and then realizes how patronizing it sounds. 

She smiles a bit indulgent, “I’m not, Like I said, Mari knows lots about pregnancy, she cuts most things off at the source. I think the only requests she always agrees to are from Padme.”

“Senator Amidala is a good friend, it's good that your two are close.” Obi-Wan says absently.

“It is, she’s been great moral support.” Obi-Wan’s sharp intake of breath just got a smile from Satine, “She had her planet invaded too, you see.”

“Yes, I know” Obi-Wan gets out, for just a second he had worried Padme might know. “That’s when we met.”

“She mentioned that when she was telling me the story. I don’t know why I would have done without her these past months. Its nice to have someone to share things with and who can really empathize.” She smiles, “Mari said it helped her sister and sister-in-law, being pregnant at the same time, and I really has been. I don’t know what I’d have done without Pad…” She trails off as Obi-Wan chokes on his caf, sputtering and spewing on his plate. 

“Obi-Wan,” She says tentatively, “Are you…” 

“Padme’s pregnant?” He asks after several deep breaths. 

“Yes,” Satine agrees, and she looks worried. Possibly for his sanity. 

And honestly, he doesn’t blame her, because there is only one reason that Padme Amidala, holotabloid darling and champion of the republic, can’t have a well known pregnancy.

“Anakin” He groans, throwing his head into his hands. 

“I’m afraid so.” And the Force agrees.

“You’ve talked about this?” Obi-Wan asks, incredulous. 

“Extensively.” Satine tells him, “Just like we’d agreed to encourage you to tell each other in your own time on your campaign.” She raises a single eyebrow, “But now that that’s come and gone, it seemed prudent to clear the air.”

“Anakin and Padme are going to have a child?” Obi-Wan asks, and it is, perhaps, the second most ridiculous thing he’s ever said. 

“There is a reason I said he’d understand.”

“I can see that.” Obi-Wan says. “Perhaps in a several hours, I’ll be able to deal with it as well.”

“Well, as much as I want to be supportive, dear.” Even though it drips with sarcasm, the endearment warms his heart. He really is in _no_ position to judge Anakin, it seems. “You do have a meeting with your Jedi Council in an hour.”

The swear Obi-Wan lets out at the reminder is crude, and huttese, and a lesson from Ahsoka by way of troopers. He’ll have to break himself of the habit soon, before the baby is born. 

But right now he has to go. To meditate so he does not have a nervous breakdown in front of the council. 

He finishes his sweet roll in two more bites, doesn’t bother to stop giving Satine a goodbye kiss even as Mari returns, and then leaves.

**Author's Note:**

> Check us out on tumblr [lukeleiahan](http://lukeleiahan.tumblr.com/). [darkmagyk](http://darkmagyk.tumblr.com/).


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